Under Weathered--A TFP Story, part 6
by BBPRIMEFAN101
Summary: When Optimus Prime falls sick with a common human virus, leaving Ratchet, Bulkhead and the human children to tend to him, Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee head out on a mission of their own to stop Starscream and half the Decepticon armada from sinking an oil rig. But things go awry when Optimus disobeys Ratchet's orders and gets captured, but he may not need the team to rescue him.


"**Under Weathered"—A TFP Story**

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><p><strong>Summary: When Optimus Prime falls sick with a common human virus, leaving Ratchet, Bulkhead and the human children to tend to him, Arcee, Lily and Bumblebee head out on a mission of their own to stop Starscream and half the Decepticon armada from sinking an oil rig. But things go awry when Optimus disobeys Ratchet's orders and gets captured, but he may not need the team to rescue him.<strong>

**Transformers © Hasbro**

**Lily and Kylie © Me**

**(no flames, pretty please. If you don't like, THEN DON'T READ)**

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

Aboard the first ferry ride to the oil rig, the Decepticons remained hidden from the humans in the shadows behind a large stack of crates, careful to stay out of the lights. They had only been 15 minutes out at sea and things were already getting out of hand. And its name was: "motion sickness". Who ever knew that the wicked Decepticons could be affected by such a thing? Apparently not the Decepticons.

While Starscream had managed to keep his reserves down and endure the constant nausea with the roiling of the waves below the ship, the Seekers with him were not so fortunate, dashing for the rail to relieve themselves of their churning reserves.

"This is horrible," Starscream moaned. "This is worse than one of Megatron's training sessions when he uses me for target practice!" He grimaced at the sound of his Seekers retching violently.

One Seeker sitting beside him weakly chuckled. "Well...I'm sure the sick Prime is in worse condition than us. He actually has a virus while we have...uh...what's the term?"

"Sea sickness," Starscream replied, and grimaced again at the sound of his men purging. Then, the Seeker who sat beside him dashed for the rail and heaved up the rest of his reserves. Starscream sighed and leaned his head back, trying to ignore the swirling in his fuel tank. "Are we there yet?"

Back on the shore, the Autobots were still trying to figure out a way to catch up with the Decepticons before they raided the _Berkut. _

"Why not bridge onto the ferry?" asked Lily.

"No, we'll draw attention. We need to approach and attack quietly," said Arcee. "Besides, the ground bridge isn't able to open on a moving object."

"_Well, what about that time with the train when we were transporting that DNGUS thing?" _Bumblebee pointed out.

"It doesn't matter, bridging in is not an option! Should we call Optimus and ask him what he thinks we should do?"

"No way," said Lily. "If he's too sick to even stand, he's too sick to help us in any way on this mission. We're on our own while the humans, Bulkhead and Ratchet are taking care of him." That's when Bumblebee suddenly pointed in the other direction. "What is it, Bee?"

"_I think I see something!" _Bee replied.

Arcee and Lily looked to where he was pointing, and to their surprise, they spy another ferry preparing to dock. "Well, just our luck!" said Arcee.

"It must be a second shipment heading for the oil rig," Lily said. "Come on, let's get closer so we can sneak aboard."

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><p>"<strong>RATCHET!<strong>" Optimus hoarsely shouted from his quarters. "**WHERE IS BY SOUP?!**"

"It's coming!" Ratchet shouted back as he quickly stirred a container of steaming Energon. The medic sighed and shook his head. Ever since Optimus awoke from his nap, he's been in the foulest mood. The littlest things either annoyed or really ticked him off. And he and Bulkhead were the targets for his complaints. They all knew Optimus wouldn't dare take out his frustrations on the human children.

"Well, HURRY IT UP! I'B HUGRY!" the Prime whined then sneezed again. "_Ah, ah...__**HAT'chooo**__!_" A glob of Energon sludge hung from his lip and he growled in annoyance. "**BULKHEAD! I DEED BORE TISSUES!**"

"They're almost done drying, Optimus!" Bulkhead called while he and Miko watched the blankets spin in the dryer. "Sheesh, I can't believe he used up all the blankets already."

"That's what happens when you're sick," said Miko. "When we humans are feeling sick like this, we can wind up using an entire box of tissues! It isn't pretty, though."

"I'll bet," Bulkhead said with a chuckle. When the dryer stopped spinning and beeped, Bulkhead took out the blankets, shook them a little in order to cool them off, and then raced to Optimus's quarters, where the Autobot leader was wetly hacking away, his body trembling with each cough as if he was struggling to force all the air out. Bulk went to his side and handed him the blankets. "Here you are, sir. Sorry they took so long."

Optimus snatched one and wiped his mouth with it while Bulkhead sat the rest beside him on his berth. "Thadk you, Bulkhead," Optimus said in a dry tone, almost with sarcasm.

"You're welcome," Bulkhead nodded. "If you need anything, just let me know." With that he took his leave, and once he left he shook his head, joining Ratchet in the main hangar. "I don't like seeing Optimus this way. It's just...not Optimus."

"Well, the human children did say that this kind of sickness can alter behavior due to irritation and frustration," Ratchet elucidated.

"I know that. I just never expected this." Then the human children joined up by the rail.

"Don't worry, Bulkhead," said Raf. "After a few days' rest, he'll be back to normal."

"I'll admit, it is weird seeing the big guy act this way. It's like his total opposite," said Jack.

Bulkhead chuckled and nodded in agreement, then sees Kylie holding something. "Hey, Kyles, what's that?" Then, Kylie revealed a large, folded up piece of paper.

"Oh, it's a get-well card we're making for Optimus," Miko explained. "It's not done yet, but when it is, we'll be sure it totally wows him!"

"That's sweet of you," Bulkhead smiled. "It's very colorful. I'm sure he'll love it."

"**RATCHET!**"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Ratchet yelled back and poured the container of steaming Energon into a metallic bowl.

"What is that?" Rafael asked.

"Soup to make Optimus feel better," Ratchet said. "At least, I hope."

"Soup usually helps," said Jack. "That and lots of rest."

"What's it taste like?" asked Miko.

"Too many concoctions to name, unfortunately," Ratchet grumbled as he headed off to Optimus's room, where the leader sat impatiently, giving Ratchet a cold glare with his dulled optics.

"It's about tibe, Ratchet," he grouched.

"You're welcome, Mr. Spoiled Rotten," Ratchet grouched back as he handed Optimus a spoonful of the soup. "Open."

The grouchy Prime then veered his head away and folded his arms over his congested chest. "Doh! You bade be wait too log. I'b dot hugry adybore."

"What?!" Ratchet exclaimed. "Optimus Prime, as your friend and medic, I order you to eat this soup. It will make you feel better." Optimus sniffed the boiling concoction and gagged. "Oh, real mature. Now eat up. You need it."

"I'b dot hugry! I told you!"

"Optimus..."

"DOH!"

At this point, Ratchet had finally lost his patience. "Fine then. You want to sit here and act like a sparkling, go ahead. But I'm not gonna waste my time listening to your crude attitude, sick or not!" He then lifted the bowl of soup and marched out.

Optimus's optics widened as he watched Ratchet leave. "H-Hey! Where are you goig with by soup?!"

"I thought you weren't hungry. And I'm going to dispose of it, since you don't want it."

"I do wat it!"

"Nope, you said you weren't hungry."

"Ratchet...!"

"Nope. Sorry. Too late. Besides, bratty bots like yourself don't deserve this. You wanna be a grouch, you can get well all on your own." As Ratchet made his way down the hall, his audio receptors picked up the sound of sniffling. But not as if to clear a nose from congestion; as if someone was crying. He also heard whimpers now. And he knew where those sounds were coming from. Sighing and setting the soup bowl on the ground in the hall, he headed back towards Optimus's berth room to find a heart-breaking sight: Optimus Prime, the great leader of the Autobots, was now hunched over, his face buried in his hands and was sobbing, dulled tears slipping through his digits, and his body quivered with each stuffy sob.

Ratchet shook his head and went to the Prime, sitting beside him and rubbing his back. "Hey, now, it's okay. I don't entirely blame you for your behavior, Optimus."

Optimus slowly lifted his face from his hands and wiped away his tears with his knuckles. "I-I'b s-sorry that I'b tre-eatig y-you like this," he trembled. "I-I just...t-t-this feeling...I dod't l-like it...I-It hurts a-ad it's s-scratchy ad itchy ad...yucky!" Ratchet had to stifle a giggle, never thought he'd be hearing Optimus say something like "yucky". His old friend then sneezed loudly and quivered as another thick bit of Energon sludge hung off his chin. Ratchet grabbed a tissue and wiped his mouth, as well as his eyes and cheeks.

"I understand, this is rough for you," Ratchet said sympathetically. "You've never really been in a situation like this before...and I know some things, you can't help with or can't control...but know that we're here for you, but don't lug us around like we're your servants. We're your friends, your family. Not your slaves."

Optimus sniffled and wiped his eyes like a little youngling. "I-I doh...I'b sorry..." Then he looked up to Ratchet with pleading optics. "Cad I have by soup back, dow?"

"Sure," Ratchet smiled and went to fetch the soup he left in the hall. "You need any help eating? I mean, since you're such a little sparkling."

Optimus then snatched the spoon out of his hand. "I cad feed byself, Ratchet! I'b dot a sparklig!" he spat.

_You sure about that? _Ratchet thought to himself and watched Optimus scarf down the soup.

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><p><strong>here be chapter 6! Sorry it took so long to update. Had major writers' block and lots of schoolwork to do. I'll try to upload ch. 7 as soon as I can. Please be sure to read and review. Many thanks! ^^<strong>


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